Federal Government awards $4b landing craft contract to Austal

Austal has announced that it has been awarded a $4 billion contract for the construction of eight Landing Craft Heavy (LCH) vessels, under the Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement (SSA) with the Commonwealth of Australia.

Construction of the 100 metre Landing Craft Heavy vessels, based on the Damen LST100 design, will be undertaken using Austal facilities and the Common User Facility at Henderson in Western Australia. Construction is scheduled to commence in 2026, with the eighth and final vessel scheduled for delivery in 2038.

Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer, Paddy Gregg, said the award of the contract to reinforced the company’s position as the Commonwealth of Australia’s sovereign shipbuilder and a trusted partner to the Australian Defence Force.

“This contract represents another significant investment in Australia’s sovereign shipbuilding capability — and Austal Defence Australia is ready to deliver these highly capable vessels to support the ADF’s operational requirements,” he said. “Constructing the Landing Craft Heavy vessels at Henderson will create and develop thousands of new, skilled jobs in Western Australia and provide further opportunities for the local defence industry supply chain.”

“The Landing Craft program will further strengthen our sovereign industry, supporting continuous shipbuilding in Western Australia and ensuring Australia has the industrial capability and depth to keep Australians safe,” said Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy.

Image credit: Austal